Word Games
by Kainen
Summary: Trowa and Relena 3xR: Sometimes attraction and possibilities arise in the most unanticipated of places. Trowa and Relena meet during a game of soccer. What flourishes is a courtship to remember.
1. Chapter 1

**Word Games**

**By Kainen**

**  
****Sometimes attraction and possibilities arise in the most unanticipated of places. **

For everyone out there who has experienced the exhilaration of chance meetings, secret and knowing looks, and feel-great first contact, and for all those who have yet to.

**Chapter 1**

Grass spit up around her as she ran hard across the field. Her lungs were working hard to provide her body with enough oxygen to keep going. She bypassed several other bodies on the field in a blur, her body acting on its own, automatically dodging and manoeuvring around them. At last she was near her target, aware that others were swiftly closing in around her.

Almost skidding to a stop, she took command of the ball and headed further down the field toward the goalie net. Lining up her shot mid stride, Relena drew back and launched the soccer ball at the net. It was a good, mighty kick, with much of her strength behind it. Huffing from her recent exertion, she watched as the ball flew through the air. Watched as the goalie dove to block the shot. And watched as the ball sailed past the goalie's hands….and right past the net too.

_Damn!_

Relena grunted her disappointment. She was so close! She could have made that shot.

Turning and walking back up the field Relena heard the loud, piercing sound of the teacher's whistle, signalling the end of fourth period Gym class.

"Students! Come on it!" the teacher shouted over the field. "Bring all the equipment and pylons over to me!"

Breaking into a light jog, Relena enjoyed the cool air that rushed around her face and neck as she headed toward her teacher at the end of the field. It was a bright day and the sun had been particularly strong. It didn't help that she was clad in black shorts and a black short sleeved top. Coming to a stop at the end of the field, Relena took the opportunity to catch her breath as the teacher read off the names of students and tallied the attendance. Breathing deeply, she glanced over at one of her classmates who was just coming in from the game. In the distance the teacher was reading off names.

"Eiffelman, Peter!"

"Hey, Lucretzia," Relena greeted as the girl came to a stop beside her. "That was quite a game. You were good out there."

Relena's classmate smiled and wiped at her brow, plucking at her tee shirt to try and cool herself off. "Thanks. You weren't bad yourself, though I don't see how you could have missed that shot."

"Jaccard, Clyde! Kelson, Mavis!"

Relena chuckled as Lucretzia grinned at her. "I blame the sun. It's a scorcher today." She waved her hand dismissively in front of her and added, "Plus, it was in my eyes. I couldn't see."

Lucretzia's grin widen, nodding in understanding. "Sure, it was. The sun – bad sun, bad!" In response to her classmate's words, Relena faked a painful expression and put a hand over her heart, feigning injury. Lucretzia chuckled and ask, "Have long have you been playing? Or did you only just take up soccer recently?"

"Well, I used to play when I was younger, but since then it's been years and years since I've been on a field."

"Nibbe, Frank! Noin, Lucretizia!

"I see," Lucretzia said. "Well, that's me. I'll see you tomorrow." Waving goodbye, Relena watched as Lucretzia walked off the field toward the locker rooms inside the school building. It was the second week of school and she had just met the girl a few classes ago. Having recently transferred to the school and not knowing anyone, Relena was glad she had met someone she could talk to. At least in class anyway.

"Peacecraft, Relena!"

_Finally._

Upon hearing her name and signalling to the teacher that she was indeed present, Relena followed her fellow players off the field and into the school. Bending over a water fountain, she enjoyed the cool sensation down her throat as she lapped at the water.

Though school was technically finished for the day, Relena wasn't going home just yet. Everyday day after school for an hour, the weight rooms and large gymnasiums were open to students. She heard it was something that attracted a good handful of students, maybe twenty or so for the gym activities and maybe ten or more for the weight room. The school had two gymnasiums, the smaller one being located in the sub-basement of the school. It was for the many basketball players that wanted to shoot hoops and engage in competition with their friends. The larger gym was mainly for soccer, as it was the sport of choice among the students that stayed after classes.

As Relena walked toward the larger gym, she pulled her blond hair loose from its ponytail. She shook her hair out, letting the air cool her scalp. Since Relena was going to stay behind, she didn't bother changing and so took a seat outside the large gymnasium. Not only did this activity provide her with a chance to improve her game and offer her extra exercise, it also gave her an excuse to delay going home.

Her home life was not terrible, but it was not one to envy either. Since her younger days, her parents were consistently away on business trips, often leaving her in the care of her brother. Despite spending the majority of her time with her older brother instead of her parents, Relena was not close with him, especially since there was almost a ten year difference in their ages.

At the beginning, the two had spent meaningful time together, her brother making all efforts to distract Relena from the fact that their Mother and Father were gone…again. Over the years, their interactions dwindled to bare necessity. It wasn't due to just one thing or another, but a culmination of things. Being a young girl at the time, Relena was in need of a female role model, one whom she could confide in and ask questions to. She had felt lost and alone. Her brother could not offer the guidance she so needed as he also had his own life to manage with its accompanying responsibilities.

More often than not he grew to assume a parental role with her. As her brother grew more and more distance from her, Relena's detachment from him increased. Their relationship now was simply one of consequence, as she was old enough now to care for herself. She made her own meals and drove her own car, while half-heartedly trying to be home by dinner time to eat with her brother. Relena knew she still loved her family but she just didn't see the point in being around them when they didn't see a reason to be home more often.

Pulling her hair back into a tight ponytail, Relena entered the gymnasium as the soccer playing students started to trickle in. She mingled around the perimeter of the floor watching everyone and what they were doing. A few had already taken out a soccer ball or two and were practicing penalty shots against the walls of the gym. Four others had disappeared into the equipment room and were in the process of dragging out two large goalie nets. They were large, heavy structures that just barely brushed the top of the frames of the double doors of the equipment room.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for more players to show up, as there weren't enough to make even two teams yet. Not knowing what else to do, Relena took up a corner of the gym and started to stretch out her muscles. After completing a series of stretches that worked her whole body, enough players had showed up to make three teams. As Relena headed toward a basket to grab a coloured penny, she looked around at the gathering players. She was a bit dismayed, and admittedly a bit intimidated, to find that she was the only girl there.

When she was growing up, Relena was a tomboy of sorts, always ready and willing to dive into things without carefully considering the consequences. In sports she was aggressive, at least more aggressive than the average girl. She would use to come home from school with scraps, bruises and grass stains and her mother – when she was home – would joke that she had stepped on a field mine. As she got older and grew to prefer sports and generally male-dominated activities and hobbies such as video games and computers, she found she enjoyed being the odd one out, the exception. She wasn't always comfortable with being the only girl around, but she liked the feeling of being an attractive girl getting involved and knowing she could be just as good as the guys, if not better.

But it had been awhile since she'd played any sport, and she knew that her skill level had completely dropped. Because of this she felt nervous about playing with the guys as they would probably see her as a "typical" girl: scared of the ball and afraid of getting hurt. She even entertained the idea of them thinking they would have to go easy on her when she played. Above all Relena did not want any guy to think she was like that. She knew she could run as fast and play just as hard as any of them.

And so with that thought in mind, Relena donned a penny and strode out into the middle of the gym as the players were forming their teams. She took her place in a defence position and waited for the game to begin. The majority of the boys were having a discussion at the centre and when they turned around some of them did a double take when they saw her standing there with her hands on her hips.

Most just ignored her, but a lean boy slide up next her and asked, "You're playing?" He was more than a few inches taller than her and had light, brown bangs that fell in front of his eyes. He was wearing a deep blue tank top with matching shorts. He looked at her through his curtain of hair with an amazed look on his face.

Relena was not surprised at the question; she half-expected it. Looking directly at his cobalt blue eyes, she noticed that they had more than a tinge of violet to them. They were large, friendly eyes with a hint of mischief too.

"Yes," she replied with a smile. The boy took a moment to look at her, the corner of his mouth curling slightly as he nodded and went to take his position for the game. As the boy turned she noticed that he had a length of braided hair that extended well past his waist.

As the game progressed, Relena saw that many of the players did have skill at playing soccer. They weren't randomly kicking the ball in any direction, but running with it and passing it to their team mates. A couple of times she had gotten possession of the ball only to have it stolen from her.

On the opposing team, there was one player who was especially good. He was blond and trim, with very well toned leg and arm muscles. Even from across the court, Relena saw how attractive he was. Decked out in a soccer uniform and matching running shoes, he seemed as if he was torn from the pages of a sports magazine. It looked as if he had the potential to be scouted from how he handled the ball. Relena suspected that he definitely had been on a soccer team somewhere before. She noticed the players tended to pass the ball to him and when he got it, he _went_. He dodged, faked and ran the ball across the court so easily it looked like second nature to him.

And he had one hell of a hard kick. Her team's goalie was able to block a goal with his hands but complained after that his wrists hurt because they had snapped back due to the speed of the ball. She was impressed to say the least.

On her own team, there was the braided boy that had come up to her earlier and a tall, lanky boy with a length of dark brown hair that fell before his eyes. He was quick on his feet and he often teamed up with the braided boy for the soccer ball. Both had their own style of playing: the braided boy preferred faking with his opponent, making him think he was going one way when he was really wasn't. He liked to fake and then kick the ball in the opposite direction before running around his opponent to retrieve the ball. The other preferred to hang in the background so he could use his long legs to intercept a pass from the opposing team. Using his height to his advantage he'd often bump the ball with his head whenever it became airborne.

Relena was still feeling out of place amongst the boys when the opposing team finally scored a point, thus eliminating her team. Her heart was palpitating as she and her team mates walked off the court, as another team took their place. Relena plunked herself down on the floor as she caught her breath. Boy, was she really out of shape. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the rest of her team at the other end of the court, talking to each other.

Relena sighed.

_Go team._

While she watched the game before her, Relena bent her left leg to stretch out her muscles before switching to the other. She was massaging both thigh muscles with her fingers when out of the corner of her eye she noticed someone looking at her and turned her head. From her position she saw that on the other end of the court the tall boy with the long legs was looking at her. His body was turned toward the court and his hands were on his hips. Making eye contact with her, he slowly smiled showing a perfect row of teeth. Holding his gaze a moment, Relena smiled back as he turned his attention back to the game.

_What was that about?_ Relena wondered. She wasn't given time to ponder for long, as it was time for her team to take to the court again. The blond boy's team had won again. The last game, she was in defense. This time around, Relena jogged to the goalie net and took up position. As she settled in, another boy from her team approached her

"Hey, listen. I'll be goalie," he said as he came to a stop about six feet in front of her.

Relena regarded him with a raised eyebrow. She didn't want to move. It looked like he wanted to take over because he thought she couldn't handle being goalie.

_I don't think so._

"No, that's OK. I'll be goalie this game," she replied casually. "You can guard the net next time."

The boy simply stared at her, incredulous. "What? Look –"

A voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. "Just let her be goalie."

Relena glanced over and discovered that the voice belonged to the tall, lanky boy. "It's OK. It's not a problem," he continued as he walked up to them. He stood about equal distance from both her and the other boy but it was clear that he was very much taller than either of them.

The shorter boy regarded both of them with a sceptical look before turning and walking away without another word. As Relena watched the boy go, the taller boy closed the distance between them and looked down at her. He was at least a head taller than Relena with deep forest green eyes with what looked to be faint, light green and yellow specks of colour around the pupils. He had a wide smile with smooth, sensual lips. As he looked at her, his length of hair fell in front of his face to obscure one of his green eyes from her sight. His skin was tanned slightly which served to contour his facial features nicely. He was very striking.

He turned and pointed to the blond player from the other team. The blond was standing in the middle of the court balancing the soccer ball on one foot before hopping up and catching and then balancing the ball with his other foot.

"He kicks hard," the tall boy said to her. "If the ball heads toward you, just let it go by. You don't have to get hurt."

Relena appreciated his advice and his earlier interjection, and so she nodded and smiled at him. He regarded her with a silent look before turning to take his position as a defenseman. Relena followed his retreating form and watched him bend his knees to ready himself for the start of the game. Of course, she had no intention of just letting the ball go by her or getting hurt.

As the game progressed there were near misses and close calls but neither team could score. And throughout most of the game, Relena's team was able to keep control of the ball. Eventually, the blond star player managed to break past the offence and overcome the defence and head straight for her. Relena tensed – her offence was on the other side of the court and her defence was nowhere near her.

_I'm ready. I'm ready. I'm ready._

Relena bent her knees and prepared herself. Her eyes were focussed on the ball and the player's posture, trying to glean anything that would give away which direction he was going to kick. In the end, all her efforts did no good. The ball rushed toward her and Relena reached for it with outstretched arms. She felt the ball graze the tips of her fingers as it flew past her before slamming into the net. Relena looked up and saw the blond smirk at her, a satisfied look on his face. Much to her dismay, her cheeks reddened a slightly and she averted her eyes, staring at the ball on the floor.

By the time Relena raised her eyes from the floor, she was able to laugh off her failed attempt at blocking the ball. She chalked it up to lack of practice and bad luck on her part.

_Next time…_

The hour was up and players began filing out of the gym. On the way to the change rooms Relena saw the green eyed boy stop for a drink from the water fountain. The violet eyed boy was leaning against the wall next him with his arms crossed, chatting away. As Relena past the two, the boy with the braid stood up from the wall and grinned at her.

"Nice try," he said with a wink.

Relena looked at him and smiled back. "Thanks."

After Relena closed the door to her change room, she pulled the elastic from her hair and shook out her blond locks. Her golden strands fell past her shoulder blades and she finger combed her hair from her face. She changed out of her gym clothes quickly enough and slipped on a pair of low rise black jeans and a sky blue short sleeved t-shirt. She headed for the sink and splashed water on her face. Her skin was warm to the touch and the cool water refreshed her. Looking in the mirror Relena properly combed out her hair and flipped it behind her shoulders, deciding not to tie it up again.

For a moment she looked at her reflection, noting her features: a face blessed with clear and smooth skin; pink, full lips ready to burst into a smile at anytime; defined cheekbones; electric blue eyes that could look at anyone and pierce right through them; and golden and honey blond hair with bangs that preferred to be swept to the side that almost veiled her eyes. She never really considered herself pretty or attractive; she mostly thought she was just another face in the crowd. Preferring not to delve too deeply into the subject, Relena flicked her bangs to the side before snapping up her bag and clothes.

When she exited the change room, the hallway and gym were deserted. Thinking that boys must change very fast, she headed up the hall and ascended the stairwell to the second floor where her locker was. As she walked into the locker bay Relena was already thinking of how the next day's soccer game would go. She definitely wanted to try her hand at the goalie's net again. So involved was she with her thoughts that she neglected to notice someone calling out to her from one of the passing lockers.

Snapping to attention Relena saw that it was the tall, green eyed boy that was trying to get her attention. Relena looked over and saw him standing tall and gorgeous by an open locker door. One of his hands was resting on his hip and he looked at her form behind his length of hair. The one green eye that was visible locked directly with her eyes and wouldn't let go.

With a smooth and even tone he spoke to her: "Good game. Are you coming to play tomorrow?"

Taking a moment to break their connection, a smiled grew on her lips and she said confidently, "Of course."

The boy smiled at her response showing her his white teeth. He took his hand off his hip and moved toward her. "This is getting interesting," he said as he stood in front of her. "Now we have girls playing."

Relena didn't know what to say to that. She was too busy looking at his physique: tall, lean, strong, athletic. She looked up at his face when she heard him speak again and extend his hand to her. "What's your name?"

Automatically, she reached for his hand and shook it. "Relena"

"I'm Trowa," he said to her. His skin was warm and he took his time releasing her hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, Relena."

The corners of her mouth quirked and her lips formed a smile and she nodded. "Yeah," she said to him and began to walk away, heading for her locker.

He watched her go, a smile still on his face.

Things really _were_ getting interesting.

**TBC**

**Author's (Ever Important!) Note:** I first want to say thank you to all who have read, enjoyed and reviewed my story entitled "Tea". 

Hopefully this story will entertain and tide you readers over until I can get the next chapter out for "Tea".

Though the first chapter didn't feature Trowa so much, it was preparing the setting for all the subsequent events. Obviously, it's a story between Trowa and Relena. I have to say it's a personal story to me because the interactions (but not all of them) that Relena has and, as the story progresses, will have are based on my own experiences. I'll leave it up to the readers to decide what's real and what came from my little ol' writer's mind. Of course, you could just ask me, but where's the fun in that?

I was first inspired to write this after my own chance encounter. I thought it would help me figure out what do and sort things out in my mind. Your comments on Trowa's behaviour are more than welcomed! (It's Trowa after all!)

In the end, you readers get another 3xR story to enjoy!

So...enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Gundam Wing is owned by Sunrise and Sotsu Agency.


	2. Chapter 2

**Word Games**

**By Kainen**

**Sometimes attraction and possibilities arise in the most unanticipated of places. **

For everyone out there who has experienced the exhilaration of chance meetings, secret and knowing looks, and feel-great first contact, and for all those who have yet to.

**Chapter 2**

When Relena arrived at the gym after school, there were already players in their coloured pennies on the court taking penalty shots at each other. There were just enough players to start a game. Jogging over to the side of the court, Relena grabbed a penny of her own and put in on. She'd be on the Red team today. As she idled by the sidelines, the braided boy appeared at her side. He was also wearing a red penny.

"Hey, there," he said to her. "Back again, huh?"

"You bet," Relena replied, realizing she hadn't seen him since their first encounter. She eyed his coloured penny. "So we're gonna win today, right?"

Violet eyes glanced down and then back at her. He gave a short breath of laughter and put his hands on his hips. "You bet."

She regarded the boy next to her and extended her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Relena."

He grasped her hand and gave it a solid shake. "Duo. Duo Maxwell."

"Nice to meet you."

Duo winked at her. "Likewise."

A sudden surge of laughter caught both of their attentions. As one they looked to their left to see a bunch of boys laughing and chuckling at another boy who was sprawled on the floor. He was in front of the goalie's net with the ball in his lap. Amongst the laughing group, one boy was standing in the middle looking triumphant.

He said to the boy in front of the net: "You have to be faster than that to stop my shot."

"Yeah, yeah," the other boy said as he brushed himself off and got his feet under him, adding with a bit of mirth: "It was a lucky shot. I got this trick knee and all…"

"Yeah, sure," came the response.

Relena watched the exchange and noticed that the boy who scored was also wearing a red penny. He was dressed all in white from his sleeveless top, to his shorts, right down to his sneakers. As the group broke up, the boy turned and began to walk to the other side of the court. His arms swung confidently at his sides and she saw that they were very well sculpted. There was muscle and obvious strength coiled within those arms.

In contrast to his attire he had a head of midnight black hair that gleamed in the lights shining from above the gym. His hair was pulled back and tied in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck. When he looked over his shoulder, she saw dark almond shaped eyes against fair skin. His Oriental eyes shifted back and forth as they surveyed the rest of the gym as he took his place in an offence position and called for the game to start. Hearing his call Duo, Relena and the rest of the players began to take their positions on the court. Opting to start with defense Relena motioned for another boy to take the goalie's net.

By then, a couple more players had arrived and donned their own pennies allowing for two full teams to play. One of the late players Relena noticed was Trowa, the boy she met earlier in the week in the locker bay. Since then they had run into each other a handful of times during the lunch hour but always after school playing soccer. She watched him snag a red penny and pull it over his head, smoothing the material over his chest. He said his greetings to some of the soccer players as he walked onto the court. When he saw her he headed in her direction and took up position beside her.

Trowa grinned at her and said his hellos. "Ready to play?"

"Are you?" she countered.

He gave her a quick glance up and down before responding. "Always." He drew the word out, pronouncing it precisely and slowly, as if to emphasize it. All Relena could do was smile at him.

When the opposing team scored yet another goal, Relena decided it was time for a change of positions. She went up to the current goalie and proposed switching positions with each other. He obliged without question and walked away from the net. During the times when Relena got the ball she would opt to throw the ball to her fellow players instead of kicking it across the court. Most of the time her team mates would shout for the ball while trying to run into an open area. More often than not, the Oriental boy would end up getting the ball either because she threw it to him or it was passed to him by the other players. Relena saw that he was an aggressive player. His tactic was to charge directly for the ball, either forcing his target to pass the ball or dodge him and run.

When Relena had the ball again, she looked around the court at her team mates. None of them were really in a good position to receive the ball as they were covered by the opposing team. But on the far side of the court, the Oriental boy was open and was calling to her.

"Hey! Hey, girl!" he shouted and waved at her. "Over here!"

Relena's lips pressed into a line and she threw the ball at him, making a mental note to speak to him later. She watched him stop the ball with his feet and run with it towards the goal. He was then forced to pass it to Duo as he ended up being cornered by two other players. Duo managed to evade the player covering him and headed toward the goal. At the last possible second, Duo took a shot as another player tried to run in front of him for a block. The ball flew past the player and through the goalie's hands for a score. A bark of triumph burst forth from Duo as his fist pumped the air. The Oriental boy came over to him and slapped his shoulder, smiling.

When the game was over for the day, Relena started for the drinking fountain. She had run hard during the game and needed water desperately. After gulping more than a few mouthfuls of water down, Relena spotted the Oriental boy near the edge of the court. He was wiping at his brow before taking a drink from his water bottle. He was alone and so Relena thought it the best time to approach him.

As she walked toward him he took notice and lowered the bottle from his lips. He raised one of his eyebrows as she came to stand in front of him. Standing so close to him, Relena saw that he too was taller than her by a few inches. He had stern features and a quiet disposition about him.

"You played hard," she commented. "Do you always play like that?"

He looked at her with his dark eyes. Those obsidian pools bore into hers with curiosity and intensity. "Not always," he replied "But I want to play my best – so I play "hard.""

Relena nodded. "What's your name?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Wufei," he said, but did not extend his hand.

Relena smiled up at him and extended hers instead. "Well, I'm Relena," she offered conversationally as the boy took her hand. "It's better than calling me "Hey, girl", right?"

Letting her continue to shake his hand, Wufei gazed at the girl in front of him. After a moment the corner of his mouth turned up and he gave her a genuine smile, which softened his features. "I'll remember that."

Relena simply smiled and let go of his hand. "I'll see you next time," she said over her shoulder as she turned to leave.

"You're coming back?" Wufei called to her.

Relena turned around and started to walk backwards as she looked at him. "Yes."

Wufei nodded his approval and gave her a small salute with his index and middle fingers.

"Until tomorrow then."

When Relena came out of the change room the hallway was, as before, deserted. Heading for the end of the hall she went up the stairs and outside the building. She had her books with her and didn't need to go to her locker. It was a bright and sunny afternoon and Relena relished the feel of the sun on her face. Fishing her earphones out of her pocket she fitted the buds in her ears before turning on the music. A loud, fast beat assaulted her eardrums as she turned up the volume. Bobbing her head to the beat, Relena began to walk to the parking lot. Spotting a short stairwell attached to the side of the building she ascended it and sat at the very top. The railing did not enclose the staircase and so allowed her legs to hang off the edge.

She had not taken her car today because her brother needed to run errands with her after school. He was going to pick her up in his car. Doubting that she absolutely had to accompany her brother on errands, she sighed and leaned back on her hands.

Glancing around the parking lot she spotted a lean boy not far from her standing beside a car talking to someone within the vehicle. The conversation must have been brief because the boy waved goodbye and started to walk away. He was headed for the school building at a leisurely pace, his long legs carrying him across the parking lot, when he saw her and looked over in her direction. Realizing that it was Trowa, she brought her arm up and waved at him.

Trowa smiled and waved back, changing his direction. He casually headed for her and Relena took the opportunity to admire the approaching boy. He had changed out of his sports clothes and was now wearing slim sandblasted jeans and a soft, light green button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His legs looked absolutely splendid in his jeans and he seemed to carry himself like he knew it. When Trowa was within earshot, Relena pulled her earphones out and called to him.

"Hey there, what are you up to?"

Trowa was smiling at her again as he approached her. He motioned over his shoulder to a small vehicle in the distance. "I was just talking to a teacher over there."

Relena felt like she couldn't resist saying her next words: "Are you a teacher's pet?" she teased.

His smile seemed to grow as he came to a stop beside her. "Never," he replied with a boyish grin. Sliding his backpack from his shoulder, Trowa climbed the short staircase and took a seat beside her. Quite close beside her. He rested his backpack beside him and let his hands fall into his lap.

His legs hung off the edge of the staircase like hers as he faced her. He leaned his back against the railing and gave her an appraising look. "You played well today."

Relena inclined her head, appreciating his compliment. "Why, thank you," she said.

Tossing her head to clear her bangs from her eyes, Relena looked at the stretch of parking lot before them. There was a mild breeze whispering through the air and she closed her eyes briefly when she felt the wind caress her cheeks. Opening her eyes, Relena looked back at Trowa. "I enjoy playing soccer but I just wish they would pass me the ball more."

As an afterthought Relena said, "I know I'm not the best player but –"

She was cut off when Trowa interrupted her. "If you want the ball, just go and take it," he told her. "If you keep thinking you're not good, you won't improve."

Relena looked at Trowa with surprise and sat up straight on the stairwell. She didn't expect him to say that to her; to be so forward. Her cheeks coloured with embarrassment and her shoulders tightened.

How stupid of her to mention what she did. He probably thought she was whining.

"Yeah…" Relena began, trying to compose herself. She hoped he didn't notice how rosy her face was getting. Not wanting to look at him, she spoke to the parking lot instead. "I…I know that. But I'd still like them to pass to me."

Sensing her discomfort Trowa changed the subject. He hadn't meant to make her uncomfortable; he just wanted to encourage her. "Will you be coming to play soccer regularly?

The questioned seemed to ease Relena and she noticeably relaxed her shoulders. Looking at Trowa, she turned the question back at him. "Will you?"

"Yeah," he responded. "You'll see at the beginning that there's gonna be a lot of guys playing but as the semester goes on many will stop coming."

"Why?" Relena wondered out loud. "Is it because of school? They get into their studies?"

Trowa nodded and looked at the foliage bordering the parking lot. In the warm breeze he watched as the tops of the trees waved back and forth gently as if they were dancing to a tune only they could hear. "Yeah. Some also lose interest and other people have work too."

"So then will you be playing soccer all semester or will you drop out after a while?" she asked, hoping for a certain answer.

Trowa gazed back at Relena and gave her a wide smile. "Oh, I'll be playing all semester."

Relena smiled back at him, happy to hear his response. "Me, too. I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other then."

"I don't mind," Trowa added gently, regarding the girl beside him with warm eyes whose colour was intensified by the sunlight.

Relena looked away and smiled as something thumped inside her chest. She didn't know what to make of that comment. Not wanting to assume too much, she stopped herself from reading anything into it. She knew what she was feeling: her self-doubt was creeping up on her again. Relena never liked to assume anything beyond the platonic when in conversation with boys. She did not mind teasing and joking with them and she did on occasion have brief flares of flirtatious behaviour. However, she wasn't the type to pursue the opposite sex as she regarded herself too timid to do so. Mostly, she would be far too embarrassed if it turned out that the boy did not share her feelings. So, she thought it best to simply ignore what Trowa had said and move on, deducing that it was simply an innocent comment.

Relena brushed at her sleeve dusting off something only she could see. She looked up at Trowa and asked, "So do you work?" She herself did not have a job, though she supposed she should get one to keep herself busy.

Meeting her eyes, Trowa replied, "I work. I'm a server at a restaurant downtown."

Relena had always wanted to try her hand at being a waitress. She didn't want to do it for the money as she knew her pay would mostly come from the tips she made. She was more interested in the experience of it all: to meet all sorts of different people, carry those impressively large trays off food with apparent ease, amaze customers by not writing a single order down and relying simply on her memory, and to wear a sharp uniform with that little apron. She thought it would be kind of fun. Certainly not a career, but fun nonetheless.

Relena smiled. "That must be exciting. Where downtown?"

"My work's a short walk from here, actually."

"That's convenient,"

"Is it," Trowa agreed, gazing at her with a smile.

"How often do you work?" Relena asked. She knew of some restaurants in the area and wondered if he worked at any of the ones she frequented.

"Well, I work at 4 o'clock today."

Lifting her wrist, Relena angled her watch so she could see the time. She was mildly surprised as she remarked, "That's in twenty minutes."

That piece of information didn't seem to bother Trowa in the least. He shrugged nonchalantly. "That's OK. It's only ten minutes from here."

Relena opened her mouth to say something else when Trowa beat her to it and posed a question instead.

"So, what are you doing out here?" he queried.

Relena glanced about the parking lot once again, wondering exactly the same thing. She felt her shoulders sag a bit before replying, "I'm waiting for my ride to show up."

"From your boyfriend?"

That caught her attention.

She gave Trowa a sideways glance. He was looking directly at her with eyes that twinkled with something she couldn't put her finger on. Patiently waiting for her response, his lips parted as he smiled at her.

_Bold._

Her brow furrowed for a split second at the question, a half-smile gracing her features. Relena hadn't expected _that_. She leaned back onto her hands again and gazed at the boy in front of her. He was either very direct or was being playful. She concluded he was the latter and decided to play along. She also concluded that she liked the question.

Relena arched her spine slightly and bent her head back, giving Trowa a mirthful look. "Maybe," she replied slowly. "What if it was my boyfriend?" Relena arched an eyebrow, half-expecting him to laugh off the question and half-wanting him to answer. She looked at him as he sat there regarding her with immense delight, obviously pleased at the direction their conversation was heading.

Trowa's smiled widened to a dazzling grin and he ran his slender fingers through his dark hair. The girl before him was luminous in the afternoon light. Her hair shone in the sun revealing every nuance of colour entwined in its strands. As her back arched, Trowa unapologetically drank in her figure. He _definitely_ liked where their conversation was heading.

"Well," Trowa started smoothly, his voice like velvet. He shifted his weight and leaned forward conspiratorially. His eyed Relena and he shot her a purposeful gaze and a wicked smile. "If it is your boyfriend, then I'll call my girlfriend for a ride."

Relena's eyes widened with amusement. She burst into a small chuckle that displayed a row of straight, pearl coloured teeth. No one had ever spoken to her like this: so confident and daring. It was undeniably attractive. A feeling surged through Relena and it came to her that she was having one of her flares of flirtatious behaviour.

_It couldn't hurt..._

Thrilled at the prospect of giving as good as she got, Relena flashed Trowa a wide smile. Her body tingled with a sudden spell of courage. "So if I _don't_ have a boyfriend does that mean you don't have a girlfriend?"

Trowa's smile turned into a sly grin and his eyes sparkled. He gave her the same answer as she had given him. "Maybe," he mimicked just as slowly.

At that Relena burst into a bout of laughter. What a conversation she was having! A good way to wind down the school day for sure. She felt good – the school day had gone by quickly, the sun was warm and bright, she had played a good game of soccer, and she was chatting with someone she had taken an immediate liking to.

She looked over at Trowa and saw that he was chuckling along with her. His hands were resting on his thighs and his body was turned toward her. Amusement danced across his features. As she looked at him, the sunlight seemed to catch tiny specks of yellow in his irises and bring them out so that they shone against the lush green colour of his eyes.

Feeling relaxed, Relena asked, "So aside from school, soccer, work and a possible girlfriend what else do you do with your time?"

Trowa's eyes flicked to hers. "Flirt with girls."

Relena laughed again at his reply, not really surprised at the answer. "So your schedule is pretty much full," she stated.

"Full enough," he responded, a chuckle blossoming from his lips.

After Relena's laughter subsided, Trowa spoke to her. "So who is picking you up?" he persisted. "Boyfriend? Brother? Cousin?" he ventured lightly, easily.

Relena peered at him enjoying their exchange of words.

_So tenacious._

Relena smiled at him evasively. "Mmm…it could be my boyfriend. Or it could be my father. Or it could even be my cousin." She wagged a finger at him and added playfully, "You'll have to stick around and find out."

Before she realized what he was doing, Trowa reached out and clasped her outstretched finger. Trowa's own fingers wrapped around her lone digit and tugged at it slightly before giving it a gentle shake. Trowa's lips curled into a smile as he took in her form silently, his eyes moving over her appreciatively. Relena's own eyes fluttered wider at the sudden contact. She hadn't expected him to reach for her.

Trowa was glad at the opportunity to touch her. Her skin was soft and delicate and she looked wonderful to him as she sat there, a surprised expression drawn across her features. He loosened his grasp on her finger as Relena withdrew her hand from him. She looked at the hand he had touched so spontaneously and glanced at him out of the corners of her eyes.

"Trowa…" Relena began.

She wasn't able to finish as a car slid silently up beside the two students. Relena glanced up and laid eyes on the sleek, black vehicle before her. The sports car was extremely low to the ground with a spoiler far larger and more extravagant than she thought necessary. The car came to a halt and Relena saw that the driver had on a pair of rimless sunglasses and wore a red shirt under a dark coloured blazer. Through the car window she could see the driver's platinum blond hair as his long, wispy bangs obscured most of his sunglasses from view. The rest fell behind him down his back.

Trowa saw what Relena saw and ventured a guess at the driver's identity.

"That's your brother," he stated as Relena hopped from the stairwell's ledge and gathered her things.

Grateful for the distraction caused by her brother's good-timing, Relena was able to collect herself enough to throw Trowa a quick smile. Her thumb and index finger of her right hand extended and the three remaining fingers curled toward her palm, forming a mock gun. She pointed her finger that doubled as a barrel of a gun at Trowa and pursed her lips as she pretended to shoot him.

"Bingo."

She said the word casually as she walked toward the waiting car. "I'll see you tomorrow, Trowa," she called over her shoulder at him.

Relena didn't look back as she got in the car or when her brother put the vehicle in gear and drove off. She was much too flushed over what had happened. Having never had a conversation like that before, she was elated and nervous at the same time.

Trowa had followed Relena with his eyes as she walked away from him. He didn't particularly want her to leave, but he didn't mind all that much watching her go. She was an attractive girl after all.

He waved goodbye at the retreating car and smiled to himself.

He was intrigued.

Trowa's long strides took him from the stairwell and in the direction of his workplace. The entire journey there he had only one thought in his mind.

_Relena._

**TBC**

**Author's Note:** Whee! Another chapter out. Hope all of you enjoyed the second part. Things are heating up as Trowa gets more forward with Relena. Any comments? What do you boys and girls think? Is Trowa being too forward or is he just being his sexy, sexy self?

For those of you following "Tea" the next chapter is about half written, so it should be out soon. Hopefully.

Until next time!

**Disclaimer:** Gundam Wing is owned by Sunrise and Sotsu Agency.


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